bullis



@1t-itch faire ige-trut ffice.

E. G. BULLIS, 0F MANCHESTER, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES J.`RIGGS, OF SAME PLACE, AND SAID RIGGS ASSIGNOR TO D. E. LYON, OF DUBUQUE, IOWA.

4Lettere Patent No. 71,971, dated .December 1Q, 1867,

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-FORKS.

To ALL WHOM 1r MAY ooNcEnN:

Be it known that I, E. G. BULLIS, of Manchester, in the county of Delaware, and LState of Iowa, have I inventeda new and useful Improvement in Grain-Band Gutter and Fork; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to'make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part'of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is amide view of my improved grain-band cutter and fork, and showing in red lines the position of the knife or cutter when pushed forward.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same, taken through the line x x, g. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondingparts.

My invention has for its object to furnish an improved instrument, by meansof which the bands of grainbundles may be cut at the same time that the bundles are pitched to the person 'who feeds them to the threshingmachine, and by the same operation; 'and it consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the various parts, as hereinafter more fully described,

A is the handle of the fork; B is a cross-head, the spike or shank of which is driven into or otherwise securely attached to the end of the handle A; 'C are-the fork-tines, which are prolonged rearward,and the rear parts of which are connected by two cross-bars D, which form stops to limit the movement of the fork-head upon the cross-head B; E are metallic bars, grooved upon their inner sides, and which are securely attached to the cross-bars D, and to the tines C, leaving spaces for the ends of the cross-head B to slide back and forth in; F is the cutter,'the forward or cutting-end of which is made V-shaped, as shown in iig. I, and the outer edges'of `which slide back and forth in the grooves of the bars E. vTo the shank of the cutter F is pivoted the end of `the connecting-bar G, the other end of which is pivoted to the outer end of the bar or arm H, the other or inner end of which is pivotcd to the middle part of the handle A. To the middle partl ofthe bar or arm II is pivoted the end of the bar I, the forward end of which is jointed to the rear end of the shank J ofthe fork-head. `The shank J of the fork-head slides back and forth along the handle A, being kept in proper relative positions by the keeper K. i

By this construction, as the fork-head moves forward, in pitching the bundle of grain from the fork, draw ing the projecting en'd of the arm or bar H forward, the cutter F isforeed forward' farther than the fork-head", and with greater velocity. V,

L are two springe or elastic arms, the outer ends of which are securely attached to the tines C, and the free ends of which are curved andpass inwardthrough the spaces between the forward parts of the grooved bars E andthe extended parts of the tines C, into such a position that, when the fork is thrust into a bundle of grain, one tine being placed upon each side of the band, the said band will pass between the ends of the springs L, forcing the cutter F back. Then, as the bundle is thrown from th'e fork-head, the springs L retain th'e band, causing the bundle to draw the fork-head forward, thrusting the cutter F forward against the band, cutting it, and delivering-the bundle to the person who feeds the threshing-machine with its band cut ready for use; the cutter thus'acting automatically.

The cutting-edges of the cutter F may be made smooth, as shown in the drawings, or they may be made serrated or sickle-edged. This latter construction I prefer, as it takes a-better holdupon the band being cut.

I do not limit or confine myself to the particular arrangement or construction of the parts herein shown, as they may be changed in various ways without departing from -my invention.

Having described my improvement, I claim, and desire to secure by Letters APatent-- 1. The combination'of a band-cutting device with a pitching-formsubstantially as and'for the purposes described.

2. The combination cf 'the rearwardly-extended parts of the tines C, the cross-head B,groovedi bars E,

sliding cutter F, and springs L, with each other, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the pur. pose set forth. Y l

3. Theucombination of the pivotcd or jointed bars G H Ivwith the sliding cutter shank J of the forkhead, and handle A, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purposeset forth.

The above specification of my invention signed by me, this 20th day of August, 1867.

Y E. Gr. BULLIS.

Witnesses:

MICHAEL EGAN, J. A. WHEELER. 

